I recall the following story from correspondence long ago with Nietzsche scholar Deborah Hayden. I hope she will forgive any misattributions or inaccuracies in my memory. It's an observation Nietzsche made about weeds during the hour of high noon. It went like this: "It's at this time of day, when the sun's directly overhead and radiating intense heat, that weeds extend their leaves out to the maximum distance to protect their seeds just underneath in the ground."
I was then, I still am, profoundly moved by this
sinew and gut stuff
--stuff, how else to say it?--
from which we come,
to which we go.
This is at the heart of these sculptures titled High Noon, as well as forming the conceptual underpinnings in the ten-part Meridian Series of outdoor sculptures that followed and that was just completed in 2011.
Ed McCullough
THE HIGH NOON SERIES
HIGH NOON #7HIGH NOON #7 8' high x 8' round, Stainless steel. Commissioned work: University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire. Built: Jan. 1988 to Oct. 1988 and installed in Nov. 1988 | HIGH NOON #88' high x 7' round, Bronze plate. Commissioned work: MCL Realty, for installation at Southport and Wrightwood, Chicago. Installed in May 1989 |
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HIGH NOON #917x21x17" round Cor-ten steel March 1988 | HIGH NOON #9Alternate view |
HIGH NOON #15x7.5x7.5" Mild steel. March 1987 Owned by private collector, San Francisco, CA 2002 | HIGH NOON #2owned by Dr. Harry Weinstein, Berkeley, CA |
HIGH NOON #37x15x14" Mild steel. April 1987 | HIGH NOON #47x15x14" Mild steel April 1987 Owned by Anne Lyman, Chicago, IL |
HIGH NOON #7owned by Steve Kurth, Eau Claire, WI | HIGH NOON #1116x22x23" Cor-ten steel August 1988 |
HIGH NOON #1312x23x24" Cor-ten steel March 1989. | HIGH NOON #1420x25x24" Stainless steel November 1991 |